Amy Scott's Thoughts

It’s my birthday week! And as life goes, it hasn’t quite turned out the way I expected. The first week back to school was a good one. Everyone was adapting nicely back to routine. I was surprise how excited my kiddos were to return to school. It was a great to start 2020.

Back to school with my favorite young reader!

On Saturday, we had brunch to celebrate my birthday with family. It was a nice meal, but Jeremy came home from the brunch feeling under the weather. While he rested and the boys napped, I re-arranged the playroom. The boys got three new train and track sets for Christmas. My goal was to create more floor space for these tracks. I am pleased with the new configuration. I was able to add more books to the room which made additional space in the boys’ rooms for their personal treasures. I combined bins and cleared out unused toys. Very satisfying!

I combined these bookshelves on to one wall. The train pictures on the wall are from our 2019 calendar. I cut them apart and used them as art for my little train lovers. 

I kept the boys home on Sunday because Graham woke up with a cold. Jeremy came home from church with a fever. And the sick vibes settled over our house. Monday Jeremy was home. He and Graham were sick buddies while I plowed through a MOPS & MOMSnext day. My dad was the guest speaker at our meeting. The topic was budgeting and the ladies were so appreciative of the information that was shared!

Enjoying some time in the snow Monday morning.

It snowed Sunday night into Monday. The boys went outside to play briefly before Owen had to go to school. No schools were canceled or delayed, so MOPS & MOMSnext met on Monday night. I drove home through snowflakes on Monday night as the next wave of snow hit. Tuesday morning (my birthday), we woke up to a two hour late start for Owen. I was supposed to volunteer on Tuesday, but the late start meant my volunteering time frame was off. Owen was bummed, but I explained to him that the late start meant we got extra time together. This made him happy.

Tuesday Morning! Two hour late start for Owen! It was great to have a relaxed pace on the morning of my birthday!

Snow on my birthday was a special treat. It was beautiful and the boys were thrilled. Graham and Jeremy had day two of being sick buddies. I got to spend the day with them around the house. While I was sad that they were sick, I was glad I got to spend my birthday with them. The original plan was to go out to dinner, but we quickly changed to take out since half of the family was under the weather. As it turns out, I developed a low grade fever on Tuesday evening that I’m still battling today. Seems like we are a family that shares.

Celebrating 34 with my traditional chocolate birthday cake!

Plans have been canceled and postponed. Jeremy went back to work yesterday while I became Graham’s sick buddy. Poor Graham is on day five of being home, but he doesn’t seem to mind too much. I’m feeling a bit off because my busy week has turned into a lot of downtime at home to rest. That is okay. A fever is a clear sign to lay low.

To jazz up day five of being home, I attempted to make a special Hot Wheels track for Graham.

My sister gave me a biography of Lucy Maud Montgomery for my birthday. It’s a thick book. I might be longest book I’ve ever read for pleasure. I’ve had plenty of time to pour through it with our extra home time. I love Montgomery’s novels. My bookshelf is full of her works. Her life was hard and her family struggled in many private ways that she kept hidden from her public work. As a fan, I struggle with the difference between her characters and her actual life. She wrote herself into her heroines, but they all got happy endings, which escaped her. It’s certainly given me a lot to think about and mull over now that I’ve completed the book.  It was one of those good, but hard reads.

My happy place is a book and a blanket.

Probably because I just had a birthday and because I just read a biography, I am mindful of the story I am crafting with my days. Thirty-three was a wonderful year. I was a little sad that I did’t welcome thirty-four with a trip to Disneyland like last year. But that is a hard tradition to create. In the past, I’ve celebrated my birthday in Portland, Seattle, British Columbia – last year it was California. This year it was at home, with my boys. It was quiet. There was snow on the ground. I felt blessed that despite our lack of spunk, we were all together and we were happy. I’ll take it! Here’s to 34 and all that lies ahead in 2020.

A few additional snapshots from our week:

Graham has started sniffing the books I read and declaring he likes how they smell. Future librarian? Here he is sniffing The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery.

The trim boards didn’t get put back on our walls until the 9th (a week after our floors were replaced). It is nice to have everything back in place and settled again!

Owen is super into space right now. His favorite subjects are the rovers on Mars and the planet Saturn.

So proud of my Dad sharing his wisdom with us at MOPS & MOMSnext!

Graham’s birthday card to me featured a tornado.

Owen’s card to me featured a chocolate cake! 

My birthday present from my boys. I’ve been thinking about getting a Fit Bit for sometime and they made my wish come true! I feel so techie! 

Christmas break has come and gone. I will admit to shedding some tears last night as I went to bed. All the parents are rejoicing that school started again today. I cried about it. I absolutely loved our Christmas break. I loved having my boys home. I loved our daily adventures whether they were out of the house or at home in our pajamas. I love setting my own pace. The vacation vibes where all I needed and more. Now my kids do drive me nuts. Don’t get me wrong. If I had a dollar for every time I told my boys – don’t touch each other – that means hands, feet, arms, legs, bodies, etc – no contact – period – I would be pretty rich right now. It’s not that our time together was as picturesque has a Hallmark movie, but it was good. Really good. Living outside of responsibility for a few weeks was delightful. And now we’re back to reality.

The end of our vacation was thrown off by our flooring situation. For the boys it was one big adventure. For me it was a whole lot of stress and mess. I’ve shared in previous posts about how our floors have repeatedly broken and been fixed. Each time the trim is torn off the walls, the house is covered in saw dust. Even the small fixes brought big messes. We were told that new flooring was going to be delivered on the 30th and the team would be back to fix the floors on the 2nd & 3rd. This time enough flooring was delivered to replace our entire laminate floor. We spent our New Year’s Day not only taking down just Christmas, but also moving all of our furniture from our living space and into our master bedroom. We also had to clear everything off the closet floors so they could be replaced as well.

The boys loved having the dining table set up in our bedroom for snacks. Our big TV was moved to the floor of our room and the boys watched TV in our bed like it was the big screen at the movies. It was a total adventure for them. Not to mention the living space was now clear and perfect for running laps while taking advantage of the echo created by the emptiness. The boys and I took off early Thursday morning to be out of the way of the workers. We got back home around 6:00pm when the flooring guys finally took off. Instead of doing the project in two days, they pushed to do it in one day. I’m thankful for that!

Oh the clean up process. It was rough and dusty. The house smelled weird due to the dust and the new laminate. I was a bit disgruntled as I cleaned up the mess. This is a new house. It’s frustrating that we had to go through so many failed fixes to get it completely redone. And it’s frustrating that it needed to be redone at all. As I went over the floor again and again, I started to pray. I knew my heart wasn’t in a good place. I reminded myself that this space isn’t just about me. These new floors will hold guests and loved ones. My house belongs to the Lord. I am grateful for it. I am blessed by it. Instead of being mad at the mess, I started to pray blessing over those who would walk on my floors. I reached for gratitude. The floors were fixed. That is good.

Some of the furniture is back in place now. The trim was left off the wall so a trim team could come in today and reattach it. But the trim guy was sick today, so that didn’t happen. The new date is set for Wednesday. Once the trim is back on the wall, we can put the furniture back up against the walls and the construction zone vibes will hopefully go away. This is not the way I recommend starting the new year, but it is almost done. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

That my friends is the latest adventure in the Scott household. Every day, week, month is an adventure. There is always something next on the horizon. And I’ll keep blogging about each escapade that comes my way. Blogging is seriously the best therapy. Thanks for being along for the ride!

Watching our new pal, Rosie, in action!

New Year’s Eve fortune cookie wisdom: I would rather attempt something great and fail than attempt to do nothing and succeed.

Celebrating end of the year birthdays with Uncle & Auntie.

I took my post Christmas decluttering a bit too far. 

Bed time snacks at the dining room table in the master bedroom.

Thursday distractions while the floor was being replaced!

Team work makes the dream work. Rosie and I working together to reclaim the house. 

How we watch our morning cartoons when there is no furniture in the living room.

Jeremy repainted our trim pieces to cover up the roughness that came from having them torn off the walls so many times. The boys took advantage of the couch cushions being off to make a fort. 

I haven’t put too much thought into 2020 even though I’ve heard a lot about having 20/20 vision in the new year. In my mind, January is a change in the month more than a change in the year. Possibly because my life has always been more on a school schedule from college to children’s ministries to parenthood. September seems like the start of something new more than January. However, every year, I can’t help thinking about the year I’ve just lived and wondering about the year to come.

2019 was pretty awesome. January started with Jeremy and I taking a trip to California with a ministry group. We stayed a few days after the group. I got to spend my birthday in So Cal with a beloved friend that lived in the area at the time (she’s now back in WA)! I got to spend the day after my birthday at Disneyland with just Jeremy. Talk about the best date day ever. It was magical – in the way an early years Taylor Swift song is – aka lots of rain. Something romantic about the rain and what not. Even though our day at Disney was wet and wild, it was also super memorable and very fun.

Over the course of the spring, I decided that I was going to sit down and a write book.  I finally had the space in my head, heart and schedule to make it happen. It was a fun experience and I’m glad I did it. The process is still on going as I have a family member editing the book for me now. One of my goals for 2020 will be finalizing the editing process and trying to determine what mode of publication I would like to use. I’m sitting down with an author I look up to in January and I’m hoping my conversation with her will provide new insight or inspiration.

This summer was our epic road trip to see the redwoods in northern California and then we traveled home along the Oregon Coast. The boys were great travelers and the whole trip was a memory I will never forgot. The big trees, visiting lighthouses, eating lunch at parks along the way, so much good stuff. We still talk about the trees and the cute cabin we rented. I hope we can return someday, but not this next summer. We already have some exciting plans in the works for Summer 2020.

And the fall! Who could forget Owen started kindergarten and the beginning of our public school days. September and October were brutal as I adapted to the changes and mostly all my feelings about the changes. Wow. So much processing and adjusting. November was a big month full of conferences and by December I finally fell into the swing of everything. School felt normal just in time for Christmas break to mess me up. Now I’m back on the kick of family time and us being together 24/7 and how much I love being home with my boys. I was told that it’s hard going back to school in January for the kids. I’m guessing it’s going to be a bit hard on this mama as well.

We’ve been having a wonderful Christmas break. It’s been a mix of excitement and adventure as well as time at home to play and rest. We’ve had quiet days as a family of four and we’ve had large family gatherings. It’s been the best of both worlds. We enjoyed Christmas Eve morning as our immediate family. The boys played with their toys all day until nap time. Then we had a Christmas Eve gathering with Jeremy’s extended family. Christmas Day was stockings at home before heading up to GG’s house for my extended family gathering.

The day after Christmas we did our shopping in Portland tradition. The boys had envelopes with their Christmas cash on hand, ready to spend. It was funny to see how different my shoppers are. Owen will buy anything he sees – regardless if its age appropriate or something he wants/needs. Graham wanders the store with 2-3 items he might get and then at the end decides to buy nothing. I actually think Graham is smarter than he realizes. He saves his money and ends up playing with Owen’s toys in the end since Owen shares with him.

Yesterday was our last Christmas gathering with Jeremy’s immediate family. It’s always a fun time when we are all together under one roof. We started the day with cinnamon rolls (my cinnamon roll count for Christmas break is probably over a dozen at this point, I am truly living my best life and Graham is right there with me, pounding them down like a pro). Watching my niece, nephews and the boys open presents is the best part of the day. I love seeing their reactions and how their diverse interests are represented in their gifts. The theme of this Christmas was Toy Story and board games for our family. We got 6 new games to add to our family collection. I see a family game day in our near future!

While I don’t have any high and lofty goals for 2020, I do have a few things I’ve been pondering. I’m going to try to cut down on waste by using less paper towels and finding a compostable straw option for my kids. We use plastic straws in our cups daily and it’s starting to nag at my conscience. I don’t want to give up straws, but finding an eco-friendly option is on my list of things to do. As I mentioned before, I want to finish the final editing process of my book. I want to finish my Bible reading plan in 2020. In September, I decided I was going to read my Bible daily and I’m now on an 120 day streak. I want to keep that going! Since Graham arrived, I’ve read my Bible 3-5 days a week but not daily until September. I’ve loved being consistent in my Bible reading and  it truly adds value to each day. I’ve been plowing through a Psalm and Proverbs plan and I’ve loved camping in this section of the Bible. The Psalms express such raw, honest emotion and calls to praise. Proverbs offers wisdom and insight. I’m looking forward to wrapping up this reading plan and starting a new one in 2020.

And reading in general is always high on my list! I read 85 books in 2019. Possibly the most books I’ve read ever in a year. At least since 2014 when I started keeping track on my phone. I already have four books to read in the house and I hope to get a few more for my birthday. I’ve already started making more space on my bookshelf for the new additions. Christmas and a January birthday equals many new books and a happy Amy!

We are wrapping up a quiet day of rest around the house. I love the days after Christmas when plenty of new toys keep little hands busy. Owen also finished his “optional” homework packet from school tonight and his reading log. We’ve been productive and restful in all the best ways. And we still have a week of break left. Praise the Lord.

Wishing you all a peaceful end to 2019 and a joyful new year ahead in 2020!

Christmas Eve Morning

Matching pajama pants

One of the special treats of Christmas break was a sleepover in Graham’s room

Lighting all 5 candles to celebrate Jesus’ arrival!

Reading the Christmas story by candle light. These moments are precious!

Scott Family Christmas 2019

Caroling to the neighbors down the street

My top nine Instagram posts of 2019: finishing my book – Owen’s preschool graduation – Graham looking at our wedding pictures – celebrating 1 year in our house – Disneyland – Jeremy’s birthday – Jessica’s wedding – Ring Security – Graham’s birthday

Christmas is way more than a day. It’s an entire season. I could say that Christmas is almost here, but the truth is we’ve been living Christmas this whole month.

Graham had a Christmas performance at school this last week. He stood up front with the class but he really didn’t perform… He has serenaded me every night since with the Christmas songs he knows by heart. He also knows all the motions. He is adorable as he performs for just me. I don’t mind my own private Christmas performance as a part of our bedtime routine.

I got to be a part of Owen’s class Christmas party. I roped my mom into volunteering with me. We helped the kids assemble ornaments that had stickers of each child’s school picture on it. I still didn’t have my voice back at that point. All of the kids were concerned that I didn’t sound like myself. It’s been a such a joy to build relationship with all these kiddos. I will be excited to hear all about their Christmas break when we came back in January.

Saturday was the start of our Christmas gatherings. My family got together to have brunch and exchange gifts. The boys got many new toys to add to their Toy Story collection. The gang is really coming together! My parent’s got the boys Financial Peace University Jr. curriculum and special banks for saving, spending and giving. We are excited to go through this program with the boys. My dad has taught Financial Peace University over a dozen times and he is an avid follower of Dave Ramsey’s principles, so an FPU gift was very fitting!

Instead of presents for Jeremy’s parents birthdays this fall, we offered for them to join us at Enchant Christmas Light Maze in Seattle. Graham was the inspiration for this gift. He kept telling me he wanted to go back to the maze and to take Nana & Papa. So we opted for the give experiences instead of gifts approach. Our family loved the light maze last year and it was just as good this year. We went to see Santa right when we arrived and there was no line and no one waiting behind us. We had Santa all to ourselves. The boys asked for a toy train and airplane. The mission this year for light maze was to find eight lost toys (last year it was lost reindeer). We found all the toys and the boys were rewarded with a chocolate coin for helping Santa. One highlight of the evening was Nana & Jeremy taking the boys ice skating. Owen loved skating last year and this year Graham wanted to join them. We ate dinner at the park while enjoying the lights below on the field. It was an enchanting evening!

Today we decorated cookies for Santa. Owen & Graham each picked a cookie cutter to use – Owen picked a chicken and Graham picked a tree – sort of a farm theme. We had a great time from start to finish. Owen got it in his head this year that we need cookies for Santa. We’re slowly picking up more pieces of the Santa tradition. The kids have asked Santa for gifts in both letters and in person. But they are aware that Santa brings their stockings so the big gifts they ask for won’t come from him. Santa can be such a complicated tradition since every household does it differently. I’m a little concerned about the day when they hear that Santa got a friend an Xbox. We’ve also had more conversations about how Santa gets around so quickly and how he gets into houses without chimneys. There is a lot of fast thinking needed to keep this tradition alive.

We’ve been filling in the time between activities with lots of playing, resting and Christmas movies. We’ve watched White Christmas, Muppet Christmas Carol and the new animated Grinch. There is nothing better than being snuggled up on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn to munch on. It’s been a lovely Christmas so far and we still have so much goodness yet to come!

Christmas movie nights have been a common theme around here! 

A frosted mini donut was the highlight of Graham’s Christmas performance.

Gingerbread cookie decorating – this picture was shared by Owen’s teacher.

Santa visited Owen’s classroom during their Christmas party. Owen is up front in the Santa hat.

Celebrating Christmas with my immediate family.

4th week of Advent. I’ve loved our weekly devotions where we light a candle in the dark and talk about Jesus being our hope, love, joy and peace. We have one more candle to light on Wednesday. I will miss this time when it’s over! 

Asking Santa for a toy train and airplane.

Enchant Christmas Light Maze at T-Mobile field in Seattle.

The whole experience is one giant photo opportunity! I took so many pictures. It’s hard to narrow down which ones to share!

One of my favorites of the boys!

About to find the missing presents!

Adventures with him keep me smiling!

Who doesn’t love a giant lighted teddy bear?

Skating buddies!

Graham’s first time ice skating!

Making cookies for Santa

Time to decorate

The finished product

Does anyone else feel like December is a month long party? I did a little math…  6 Christmas parties (2 hosted at my home, 2 I planned and hosted at church) and 4 Christmas gatherings (1 hosted at my house) = 10 Christmas events. Not to mention the extras like the Christmas musical at church, a nephew’s birthday party, the lighted tractor parade, a trip to the Christmas light maze in Seattle and a day of family shopping together after Christmas. There is a lot of celebrating, gathering and goodies. The whole month feels like a giant party. 

However, the month has been balanced out with illness as well. It wouldn’t be the holidays with kids without sickness. We’ve had coughs, colds, fevers and pink eye all this month. I’ve also been battling a cold where I rest and get back to the real world only to push myself a bit too hard and go back down. It’s been an endless cycle the last three weeks. And I’m currently without a voice. I lost it Monday night and it has yet to return. Luckily I don’t feel too terrible despite how I sound. We’ve been very diligent about resting and making the most of our down time between all the festivities.

It’s one week to Christmas and today I finished up all of the Christmas shopping – that I am responsible for. Jeremy still has two gifts to find for family exchanges. He is picky when it comes to finding the right gift, but he is a grown up so he can make that happen. We are looking forward to Christmas vacation. Graham has a performance at preschool tomorrow. Owen has a Christmas party that I am volunteering at on Thursday and Friday is a half day with an assembly we plan to attend as a family. Jeremy has been on vacation all this week and we are looking forward to the boys joining us in vacation mode! The first of the Christmas gatherings kick off this weekend with my immediate family gathering for brunch at my house. I might have to go radio silent for the rest of the day in hopes that I’ll be able to find my voice again before the weekend fun.

I love this time of year. A few “traditions” haven’t happened yet. We aren’t sure if Santa pictures will happen this year. My kids are incredibly shy around Santa. Unless there is a perfect moment for us to hop in line at the Christmas light maze on Sunday then I think our window for pictures will be gone. I haven’t watched White Christmas or Muppets Christmas Carol yet, but there is still plenty of time. Last night we loaded the boys up in pajamas to drive through a local park that sets up a light displays. We aren’t going to Zoolights this year, but the Christmas light maze in Seattle will more than make up for that. We don’t need to do both. Scaling back feels right in this new season. Without our family Fridays in December and with busy work weekends, we are adjusting our expectations. Let’s be honest with 6 Christmas parties and 4 Christmas gatherings, we aren’t missing out on any holiday cheer.

Merry Happy One Week to Christmas!

Does anyone else set up survival stations around the house? I have one in my bathroom as well with supplies for chapped lips, dry skin and cold medicine. 

Thanks to pink eye, we had an unexpected Saturday at home. The boys did a dino dig expedition. 

Graham abandoned the dino dig, but Owen made it through it the end!

Christmas musical weekend! 

Singing “Go Tell It on the Mountain” but really it looks like they are sneezing in their hands!

A superhero pool party to celebrate Cousin Keegan!

The look on Graham’s face when I have to wake him up to get to the bus stop

One of my favorite nights! Our MOPS & MOMSnext Christmas was a huge hit!

We gave out a variety of mugs as our gift this year at MOPS & MOMSnext. All different sizes, shapes, colors and patterns. It was so fun to see everyone share their “mug shots” the next day of social media.

Gingerbread Round #3 for my class Christmas party with my 4th-6th grade girls. I also made butter cookies for them to decorate. We did a gift exchange and played a few games that evening.

We were supposed to wear ugly Christmas sweaters to our staff Christmas party, but I think we both missed the mark. 

My final gingerbread project! I made 24 giant gingerbread cookies for Owen’s class to decorate.

Jeremy’s helpers for the lighted tractor parade!

Lighted tractor parade fun. Unfortunately, I was home sick in bed for this event, but I loved getting photo updates like this from Jeremy. 

Growth Group Christmas Party – the kids played the saran wrap dice game. It was very intense! 

Growth Group Gift Exchange for the adults! 

Borst Park Christmas Lights

Every year I think about writing a Christmas letter to send with my cards. I love reading the newsy letters that I receive but when I think of all the extra printing, folding and stuffing that comes with a letter, I talk myself out of it.  This week it dawned on me that I should write a Christmas letter here on the blog. So let’s dive in! I’m excited!!

Merry Christmas! 2019 has big year for the Scott household. Here are a few of the highlights from our past year.

Owen: He wrapped up preschool this spring at the Bethel Kids Learning Center. He loved his two years there as a student and was definitely kindergarten ready by the time he finished. Owen enjoyed taking swimming lessons over the summer and was happy to pass level one. This fall, he started kindergarten. He is now a Lintott Bobcat and making us proud. We are thrilled to see him working hard and learning so much. Owen continues to be our adventurous helper. He is always ready to be included in whatever project is going on around the house or the church. Owen’s favorite thing would be his chickens, especially Perch – his beloved chicken. Owen still loves trains and plans on being a train engineer when he grows up. He has recently discovered card games and enjoys playing War most of all.

Graham: He made the big transition this year to preschool at Bethel Kids Learning Center. He wasn’t too thrilled about that in September. At the beginning of October something changed and he has been a happy preschooler ever since. It’s been fun to watch him make friends and do things on his own. He deeply loves his brother. When he was asked what he was thankful for at Thanksgiving he said Owen. They are definitely buddies. Graham enjoys playing with trains and vehicles. He is a cautious kid, but he is also extremely fast. If he is comfortable in his environment then he will be off like a rocket. He will be our track star someday. He just had his 4 year old well check recently and he is still a bit of a munchkin. He is only 14% for height and 9% for weight. I keep dreaming of a day when he will be tall enough to take to Disneyland.

Travels: Speaking of Disneyland, we had some California adventures this last year. Jeremy and I got to attend a ministry trip in January where we visited a few churches in So Cal with other youth/children’s pastors. We stayed in the area a few days after the group finished and spent a day at Disneyland. This happen to be over my birthday, so it was quite a special trip for me. Surprisingly,  our day at Disney was rainy and made for a unique experience and memory. This summer, we took our boys on a road trip to Northern California to visit the Redwoods. Then we traveled up the Oregon coast on our way home. This trip inspired a love of hiking in our boys and we put that skill to good use many more times over the summer when the boys visited Mt. Rainier and the Ape Caves at Mt. St. Helens.

Jeremy: He continues to be a jack of all trades with a million interests and hobbies. His big project for this year was getting the chickens on his birthday in March. He built the coop himself with leftover supplies from our house. He is the one that keeps the chickens alive and the boys love to help him. This summer, he planted his garden again (and he maintains a greenhouse year round). He spent time cutting more trails around our property. Jeremy enjoys flying his drone, fishing, archery, golfing and weather watching. He includes the boys in so much and makes everything an adventure or learning opportunity for them. As the children’s pastor at Bethel Church, he just wrapped a kids musical this last week and is looking forward to having a float in the lighted tractor parade this coming weekend. And of course, once we enter the new year, he will be diving into prep for our huge community Easter egg hunt. After that it’s Vacation Bible Adventure and kid’s camp season. Never a dull moment at Bethel Kids!

Amy: I’ve taken on many new roles this last year. One of them being classroom volunteer at Owen’s school. Once a week, I spend the morning reading with kindergarten students.  I love it! I’m now an area connector for the Network of Women Minsters in the Northwest Ministry Network. I’m enjoying the connection with other women ministers and meeting new people. The last new title I took on was wedding coordinator for our church. I’ve met with three couples so far who will have 2020 weddings. I’m on my third year of coordinating MOPS & MOMSnext and my seventh year as member of this group. I’m also still teaching elementary students on Sundays and Wednesdays at church. Each week is full of valuable time with my community and investing in people I deeply care about. My favorite things still remain being a homebody (when I can), baking, blogging, reading and being with my family. Also, my big personal accomplishment this year was writing a book. I’m still not 100% sure what direction I am going to go with publishing, but I hope to have it available in some form this next year.

As we are about to celebrate our second Christmas season in our home, I can’t help but be grateful and thankful for where the Lord has placed us. We are so blessed to serve in a community we love – surrounded by family and friends.  2019 was filled with so many good things and new opportunities. We look forward to what God has in store for 2020.

As I wrapped up yesterday’s post, Graham was waking up from a short nap. I was frustrated because I knew he wasn’t feeling well. He needed that sleep. But you can’t make a kid sleep… the story of parenthood. I mentioned yesterday that I had a gingerbread house decorating contest with my church girls last night. I had the gingerbread cake all baked and ready to go. The pre-built kits were at church waiting for creativity and inspiration.

As the afternoon went on I realized that Graham was on the fence when it came to being healthy enough to go to church. This is the tension of being in a pastor’s family. Jeremy and I teach on Wednesday nights. We have commits, but we also have kids. It can be a hard call – do I stay home with the boys so they can rest or do I push them and hope it will be fine? The final decision was Graham sounded too hoarse, Owen has a random cough and I’m battling a sore throat – the sickies would stay home.

Maybe you’ve heard of FOMO – the Fear Of Missing Out. I wrestle with that. I didn’t want to miss the gingerbread night especially when I had hyped it up with my girls as one of the best nights of the year.  I didn’t want to leave my husband short a teacher. Luckily, I co-teach with my mom and she was able to cover for me. I am thankful and blessed for her back-up support on nights like this.

I follow an account on Instagram that has that changed FOMO to JOMO – the joy of missing out. It’s funny and something I can relate to. It’s in reference to being a homebody most of the time. Last night, I  got my boys into jammies, set up their pillows and blankets on the couch and started a movie with an early bedtime as the ultimate goal. Graham developed a fever. At one point I was laying the couch with Graham’s head snuggled into my chest, I could feel his fever and I knew I made the right choice. While I was sad that my littles were sick, I was joyful that I could be home with them. I was joyful that I got to snuggle and bring comfort. So last night I had some FOMO, but it ended up being JOMO by the end of the night.  I was right where I belonged.

(Side note: I’m positive my husband is cringing as he reads this – just mention ho cho or fro yo in his presence and you’ll see why.)

I wonder how often FOMO could turn to JOMO? It’s all a matter of perspective. Instead of worrying about keeping up or missing out or being on the outside, what joy could we find in our situations? What peace could we find if we are looking for joy? What contentment would follow?

It’s no secret that I struggle with perfectionism. While I am striving for perfection, I am often missing out on the good and lovely in the midst of the messy or challenging. I don’t want to miss out when it comes to the right things. I also don’t want fear to be my driving force. Last night was a reminder to find the joy in all things. Even when plans change. Even when the family is sick. Even in the midst of the mundane, the stressful, or the difficult. There is joy to be found if we look for it.

My view this morning – Graham resting while watching Toy Story while I work on MOPS Christmas party prep for Monday. 

My reminder to choose joy this Christmas!

I’ve been mulling over what to share this week. Sometimes I sit down with a definite message to share. Sometimes I ramble. Today, my feelings are a bit of a mix. We had a fantastic holiday weekend. Lots of Christmas stuff is happening. Parties and movies and goodies. However, I’ve also been struggle with a cold that doesn’t seem to want to develop into a full on cold, but also doesn’t seem to want to go away. I could share a very sunny and smiley version of the holidays, which would true, but I also realize that I’ve let stress and/or tiredness have me on edge at times. I know that I am not perfect. As an Enneagram type one, I might strive for perfection at all times, but I have to be okay when I don’t make the mark of my own personal, high standards.

Remember the Proverbs 31 women in the Bible? She’s amazing. The woman never sleeps because the Bible literally says she stays up late and gets up early. She must be the type who can live on a solid 3-5 hours of sleep. I feel like I could create a Proverbs 31 Woman: Holiday Edition. The list includes making all the family traditions come true like a visit to Santa and parades and Christmas light viewing, making lists and checking them twice to make sure the perfect gifts are selected and wrapped with care,  all the holiday baking, hosting Christmas parties, attending Christmas parties, not gaining weight from all the Christmas parties, etc.  I want to make the holidays magical for my family and friends. I want to be fully present and give time to my people. I want to keep up with all my commitments and give 100% to them. There can be a lot of pressure to make a picture perfect holiday happen.

Honestly, I’m not doing bad. I’m almost done with my Christmas shopping. I have a Christmas sweater ready for holiday parties. In fact, I had my first Christmas party this week. I hosted my MOPS & MOMSnext Steering Team Christmas Party at my house. It was a great night and I put all I had into making it the best party ever from food to games to gifts. And then after I was completely spent, I got up the next morning and volunteered at Owen’s school where his teacher asked me if I was a baker and if I could make gingerbread cookies for the class. Why yes, I am a baker. Sure, I can make gingerbread cookies.  When Jeremy came home for lunch and suggested that Graham tag along on errands with him that afternoon, I wholeheartedly agreed and sent my boys off to shop. I decided to take a bubble bath in the middle of the day and watch a Christmas movie.

For all the hustle and bustle, I’m am also prioritizing rest. And that is the only way I’m going to get through this busy season – or any season for that matter. Thank you to Hallmark Channel. My DVR is stocked with Christmas movies to watch. Our weekend will be full, so I have intentional downtime built into this week. I still have plenty to keep me active around the house, but there is something about the act of staying home that provides the rest that I need. Oh and those cookies I agreed to make, I don’t need to have them completed for another week. And my pantry is fully stocked with gingerbread mix so I am set.

I find that this season is such a mix. There is so much I want to do and so many opportunities I want to provide my children with. I also want to be restful and not stressed. I want to have enough mental space and physical strength to enjoy my outings and activities. I am constantly reminding myself that I know what my capacity is. It is not the same as others and that is okay. I have to set myself up to succeed and thrive within my own calendar of commitments. So some days will be a bustle of activity and some days will be slow. Both are okay. Both are good.

Okay. That was a bit more on the rambling side today, but those are the thoughts inside my head. I’m off to make gingerbread cake for my class of church girls. We’re doing gingerbread house decorating tonight so gingerbread cake seems to fit the theme. I love seasonal things like peppermint and gingerbread. Don’t be surprised if you see gingerbread goodies in the background of my Christmas posts!

Wishing you all a merry month full of fun, love and celebration! And maybe some rest, peace and calm as well!

Picture from Owen’s teacher – they had a pajama party and a feast on the half day before Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Day – so thankful for my boys! We had fun day full of family and good food! There is so much to be thankful for!

The Scott cousins! We got to enjoy seeing Frozen II for a second time with the cousins on Friday. Now we are playing the soundtrack on repeat around our house. I might be listening to Frozen as much as I am listening to Christmas music.

Took the kiddos out for a little local Black Friday shopping. Graham found these glasses that match his donut perfectly!

And slippers were the big Black Friday purchase!

First snow on December 1st. It was a dusting, but the kids were so happy. We prayed for snow the night before and Owen was so excited that his prayers were answered. I love childlike faith and wonder. I wish I could be more like my kiddos!

Kicking off Advent season. We have a calendar with verses and the bags full of chocolate.

Starting a new tradition with our church congregation – Advent wreath and candles. We had the best conversation about HOPE with our boys on Sunday night. 

MOPS & MOMSnext Steering Team Christmas Party 2019

The sparkly bags are from Owen to Graham. He went shopping at the Santa Shop at school. 

Ready for gingerbread season! 

Time for Go Fish

Graham got a chance to go shopping for Owen while he was out running errands with Jeremy yesterday. It’s going to be hard for him to keep a secret from Owen. I don’t know if he’ll last until Christmas.

I don’t have too much to share this week. Life has been good in all the small, sweet ways. There has been a lot of errand running, making Christmas gift lists and movie watching. There’s also been good times with friends and extra family time since Jeremy has this week off. While life certainly has it’s ups and downs, I can’t help but be thankful for all the opportunities I’ve been given, the family I am blessed with and the friends that I am amazed I get to do life with. God is so good! I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Long shadows are the bus stop make me feel tall. 

Just a few of my favorite things – I should have added grocery pick up to one of those leaves. 

We love it when a new Scholastic book order arrives! 

A pretty view from my window in the morning.

Yes, we already decorated our gingerbread house for the year. We don’t mind that we are doing the holidays out of order this year. 

Family movie night thanks to Disney+

Lamby goes to the movies! We surprised the kids by taking them to see Frozen II in the theaters. 

First family movie in the theaters!